Pokèmon: Nomad Heart
by Eric Jacobson
Summary: Orphaned as a boy, Jonathan grows up and heads out to become a Pokèmon Master, and more importantly, to find out his own identity...


Pokèmon: Nomad Heart by Eric Jacobson  
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Episode One: Enter The Nomad  
  
Part One: Beginnings  
  
The rain was coming down hard that night. The storm had blown up rather  
quickly, and was releasing a deluge on the little town of Fellin. In the  
forest just west of town, a small group of Caterpie was huddled underneath  
the large petals of a Vileplume's flower. Further along, in a clearing near  
the edge of the forest, a single prop plane sat on the runway of the Fellin  
Municipal Airport, it's propeller spinning furiously, cutting defiantly at   
the sheet of rain. A flash of lightning, followed by a sharp clap of thunder,  
lit up the night, but not by much.  
  
Inside the terminal, the airline employees were busy tightening up the windows  
and closing up, preventing the rain from getting inside the old hangar. Several  
Butterfree were patching leaks in the roof, and a Mr. Mime was gathering up the  
baggage and covering it with a tarp. And, further down the terminal causeway,  
a family was preparing to board the little plane, bound for faraway Celadon City.  
The man, his wife, and their infant son were on their way to Celadon in order  
for the man to finalize a business partnership, and afterward would take his  
family shopping at the Celadon Shopping Center.  
  
"Your flight is ready to go, sir. Mr. Mime will take you out to the plane," said  
the terminal manager, a dismal, tomboyish female with a Spearow on her shoulder.  
She looked as if her mood was reflecting the tirade outside, as did that of the  
Spearow she carried. It gave a somber sigh as it looked out the window.  
  
"Thank you, miss," the man replied. He was in something of a hurry, he wanted to  
get airborn before the storm got any worse.  
  
"Be careful, sir. The weather report isn't looking too good, at least not until  
tomorrow morning."  
  
"I will. You too." And with that, the man and his family followed Mr. Mime out  
into the storm, and out to the little plane sitting on the runway.  
  
  
  
The storm wasn't any better at 25,000 feet. The pilot had climed to that altitude,  
hoping to get above the cloud deck, but it was no use. This was the biggest storm  
that this part of the country had seen in some time, and there was no way around it.  
  
"It's not any better up here, sir. Looks like we'll have to ride it out untill we  
reach Celadon City."  
  
The man looked up from his business notes at the pilot in front of him. He gave a  
desparing sigh, put down his breif, and stepped up into the co-pilot seat. Behind  
them, his wife and son slept quietly. He looked back at them, sighed again, and turned  
back to the pilot. "That bad, eh?"  
  
"Yes, sir. The weather band on the radio forecasts the storm lasting all night, and  
the entire area from here to Celadon Airport."  
  
"Let's hope we can make it. This meeting will ensure my financial future, and more   
importantly, I fear for the safety of my family. We must make it."  
  
"I'll try climbing up to 30,000 feet sir, but I doubt it will..." The pilot never got  
the chance to finish his thought.  
  
A bolt of lightning had struck the tiny plane, puncturing a hole in the left wing. The  
plane rocked violently, throwing the man from the co-pilot's seat. His head slammed into  
the guage panel, knocking him unconcious. The pilot, shaken, tried to right the plane,  
but it had begun to dip uncontrollably.   
  
The man's wife and son had been awakened by the chaos. Still strapped in her seat, and  
clutching her infant child close to her, she screamed in complete terror. The pilot,   
realizing that he could no longer control the aircraft, lept from his seat and hurried  
back to the woman. "Ma'am," he screamed, "I can't get control of the plane. I suggest we   
put your son in with the emergency gear, he'll be safe in there. There are alot of padded  
materials. I'll try an emergency landing as soon as I get the chance."  
  
Realizing there was no other way to save her son, she handed the boy to the pilot, who  
placed him in the emergency gear compartment, which was laden with blankets, pillows, and  
other such gear for use in emergency landings. But, this would sadly serve no other  
perpose than to protect the child...  
  
Returning to the controls, the pilot began his futile attempt to bring the plane down  
intact. Ahead was a mountain, surrounded by dense forest. No landing in the trees, the   
pilot thought to himself. And then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of  
a plateau. It was narrow, and was covered with boulders, but it was the only chance to  
land the plane. Without another thought, the pilot desperately tried to aim his craft  
at the plateau. As it neared it's final landing site, the pilot looked back at the man,  
lying unconcious behind him on the floor, and then at the woman, still strapped in her  
seat. She was frozen with fear, looking at him with distant, hopeless eyes. Just before  
the plane hit the ground, he looked at her and managed to say one last thing: "I'm Sorry."  
  
And with that, the plane slammed onto the plateau, and began to slide towards the far  
edge. As it hit the first of the boulders, the right wing was torn from the fuselage, and  
it started into a dead spin. Further along, the tail section was shattered by another  
boulder, stopping the plane's spin. The plane continued toward the edge at a dizzying clip.  
One last boulder stood between it and the 52 story drop to the forest canopy below.  
The plane slammed, nose first, into the boulder, flipping it up into the air. It landed   
on the edge, severing what was left of the fuselage in half. The front portion of the   
wreckage fell, bouncing off the side of the cliff several times before landing in the  
woods below, erupting in a ball of flame.  
  
  
  
Inside a cave, a solitary Cubone sat in front of a fire. He had come into the cave when  
the storm began. Suddenly, from outside the cave mouth, the Cubone heard a loud crashing  
sound. His eyes grew wider as the crashing continued for several seconds, ending with   
an impact that shook the cave floor, knocking him over. Half scared and half curious as to  
what was happening outside his makeshift shelter, the Cubone picked up his club and ran  
for the cave entrance. When he reached it, his was knocked to his feet by the shockwave  
from an explosion nearby. He ran to the edge of the plateau to see what had caused it, and  
when he looked down, he was greeted by a rush of thick black smoke. It burned his eyes for  
just a second, and when they cleared, he saw the flames. He stared for a few seconds, and   
turned back to return to the cave. And that's when he saw the other half of the plane.  
  
The wreckage was suprisingly intact for what had happened to it. The tail section was  
gone, but the passanger compartment was still together. Curious as to what was inside,  
the Cubone stepped in. What he saw, though his knowledge of human things was limited,  
made him sad.  
  
On the floor, covered in blood and not moving, lay the body of an older man. Cubone poked  
the man with his bone club, but he didn't respond. Cubone stepped further into the body of  
the wreck. There he saw a woman, slumped over but still stapped into her seat, and like the  
man he had just seen, she wasn't moving. A few pokes with is bone club confirmed it, and  
Cubone turned to leave. But, just as he took his first step out of the wreck, he heard it.  
  
It sounded like crying, but it was muffled. Cubone looked around, but couldn't see where  
the sound was coming from. He looked all around the wreckage, but still couldn't locate the  
source of the crying. And then, he noticed a small panel, set into the wall. It was slightly  
open. The crying was coming from behind it. Cubone jammed his bone club into the opening,  
pried the panel off of the wall. Inside were blankets, pillows, even a pup tent. And buried  
in it all, he found the source of the noise.  
  
Cubone pulled away a blanket and found a human child. So that's what was crying. And then,  
it hit him. Cubone looked at the child, and then at the motionless woman nearby. A small  
tear ran down his cheek from behind his skull helmet. The woman. The man. They were this  
child's parents. And they were gone. Whatever had happened to this plane, the child was the  
only survivor. And they had something in common. They had both lost their parents. Cubone  
stood for a few seconds, crying at the memory of his own mother and this child's similar  
loss. And with that, he decided he must put aside his lonesome lifestyle and help the human.  
He picked up the infant, placed the skull over him, and hurried back to the cave. He laid  
the boy down next to the fire. He was still crying, so Cubone decided to curl up next to it.  
When the storm subsided, he would take the child to the nearby town of Boulder. The infant  
calmed down, and soon was fast asleep. Cubone wasn't far behind...  
  
  
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Part Two: First Steps  
  
Jonathan stood at the entrance to the Indigo League Stadium, Pokèballs in hand. He was  
finally here. All those years, wandering the land, collecting badges from Gym leaders along  
the way. And all leading up to this moment, when he would challenge the Elite Four and win  
his title as Pokèmon Master. He stepped into the tunnel and headed for the main arena.  
Suddenly, he felt a blunt object poking him in the ribs. "Jonathan," a distant voice called.  
He couldn't pay it any mind, he was finally at his journey's end. "Jonathan..." The poking  
continued, and the tunnel began to blur.  
  
"Jonathan? Jon? Wake up, Jon! Today's the day!" It was Alyssa, Jon's best friend at the  
orphanage. Jon stirred a bit, and finally rolled over. Opening his eyes, he saw her standing  
next to his bed. Next to her, his Cubone, which he affectionately called Cueball, was being  
the ham he usually was, poking him in the ribs with his club. "Come on, Jon, it's time for   
you to get up! You don't want to miss your big day, do you?"  
  
"Come on, Lyss, just a few more minutes? I had a late night last night." Jon had been up  
the entire night before, gathering his things for his trip.  
  
"It figures you'ld want to sleep in on the day you leave." Alyssa, Lyss to Jon, was also  
an orphan herself, and slightly younger than he. She had been brought to the orphanage in  
Boulder after her parents disappeared, when she was just six years old. Before then, Jon  
had mostly kept to himself, only speaking and responding to Cueball. Cueball, after all, had  
brought him to the orphanage when he was an infant, and stayed with him ever since. Lyss was  
the first person to befriend Jon.  
  
Jon rolled over again, and went back to sleep.  
  
"That's it. We're gonna have to do it the hard way, I guess." Lyss went out of the room,  
and went downstairs. She returned a moment later, carrying a Magikarp in her arms. "If you  
won't get up on your own, Jon, you get wet thanks to Magikarp! Magikarp, Water Gun!"  
  
Magikarp did as Lyss told it to, and soon, Jon was awake, albeit a little bit waterlogged.  
  
"Awww, Lyss, did you have to do that? I woulda been up in a few minutes." Jon stood on  
his bed, dripping wet from Magikarp's drenching wake up call.  
  
"Well then, now that you're up, you should get dressed. I don't think Pokèmon trainers  
work in their PJ's. He he he!"  
  
"Yeah, you're right." Jon stepped over to his dresser and opened the top drawer to get a  
fresh pair of boxer shorts, when he suddenly looked back at Lyss. "Um, do you mind?"  
  
"Oh, uh, oops. He he. Sorry! I'll be downstairs when you're ready." Lyss stepped out of  
the room and shut the door behind her.  
  
"I swear, Cueball. She'll be the death of me yet." Jon reached for a pair of socks and put  
them on his feet. "Now I need something to wear. What do you think, Cueball? Jeans and a  
T-shirt, or shorts and a tank top?"  
  
Cueball stood in thought for a second, and finally chimed in. "Cubone bone, cubone!"   
  
"Alright, jeans and a t-shirt it is!" Jon was always in jeans and t-shirts, he rarely  
wore anything else but. Mrs. Appletree, the woman in charge of the orphanage, had made it   
her personal quest to get him to wear something else, but his loner nature made that very  
difficult.  
  
Jon put his shirt on, laced up his shoes, and stepped out of his room. He slowly made  
his way down the stairs, and out the front door onto the porch. Lyss was waiting there, she  
had his backpack all ready for him. And next to her, wearing a conservative, almost prudish  
schoolteacher's outfit, was Mrs. Appletree. Cueball fell into step behind him, and now stood  
next to him.  
  
"Jonathan," Mrs. Appletree said, "today is a big day for you. Today you're old enough to   
leave our home and begin your Pokèmon journey. Ever sice Cubone brought you here, we've all  
known that you'ld be leaving one day to find yourself, and to learn the ways of a Pokèmon   
Trainer. I only hope that you learn to be more open to others, like you have to Alyssa."  
  
"I hope so, too, Mrs. Appletree. Don't worry about me, with Cueball at my side, I'll  
manage." Though he spoke those words with confidence in his voice, inside, he felt uneasy.  
For the last 18 years, all he had known was his secluded life at the orphanage, his only  
friends being Cueball and Lyss. He knew his past was shrouded in mystery, and he wondered if  
he would ever solve it. Now, he was finally going to make his way into the world to fulfill  
two dreams: Becoming a Pokèmon Master, and more importantly, to Discover his true identity.  
  
"Now Jonathan, the first thing you should do is go to see Professor Oak in Pallet Town,   
North of here. Since you'll have to cross the Seafoam Channel to get there, I'm going to   
give you this." Mrs. Appletree handed Jon a Pokèball. "This is a Lapras, the Transport  
Pokèmon. He will help you in crossing the water. This is all I can give you, though, the  
rest is up to you."  
  
Jon held the Pokèball up, looked at it for a second, and threw it out, releasing Lapras  
into the yard. The immense, dinasaur-like Pokèmon appeared with a soft howl. "Lapras, huh?  
Alright!" He walked up to the creature, and held out his hand. The Lapras looked at it for  
a few seconds, and maneuvered it's head down to Jon's hand. It sniffed at it, and finally  
touched his nose to it. It had accepted Jon as his trainer. "Lapras. Hmmm. You'll need a  
new nickname. Let me see..."  
  
"How about Lucky," Lyss chimed in. "Lapras is very rare in this part of the world. You're  
lucky to have him!"  
  
"Lucky. What do you think, Lapras?"  
  
The Lapras smiled and howled softly again, satisfied with his new nickname.  
  
"Lucky it is, then!" Jonathan held out the Pokèball Mrs. Appletree had given him. "Lucky,  
return!" The Pokèball shot out a beam of red energy, and Lucky was returned to the ball.  
"Thanks, Mrs. Appletree, for everything. I won't let you down. Someday, I'll come back, and   
then I'll be a Pokèmon master. And, with a little luck, I'll know more about who I am, where  
I came from, and who I'm destined to be."  
  
"Alright, Jonathan. Here's your Pokèballs, and a world map so you can find your way. I  
wish you the best of luck. Goodbye, Jonathan."  
  
"Goodbye, Mrs. Appletree." Jon turned to head for the front gate, and Lyss walked along  
with him.  
  
"I'm really gonna miss you, Jon." she said sadly.  
  
"I'm gonna miss you too, Lyss. But I just gotta find out who I am. There's no other way to  
do it."  
  
"I know. Here, take this." Lyss handed him a necklace, the one she had worn since she had  
come to the Orphanage. Hanging off of it was a small silver and gold charm, a miniature  
Pokèball. "Wear it always, and think of me. Once I can get out of here, I'm going to come  
find you. Then we can make the journey together." As she said this, a tear ran down her  
cheek. She was fighting back the urge to cry.  
  
Jon wiped the tear from his friend's cheek. "I could never forget you, Lyss. You're my  
best friend. I'll wear this always, and never take it off." He looked at her bright blue  
eyes. He hadn't noticed how beautiful they were before, or for that matter, how beautiful  
she was period. She had grown into a very pretty young woman. In his heart, he felt a slight  
acheing. He knew now that he had feelings for her beyond friendship, but it was too late to  
act on them. He had to go. "Take care, Lyss."  
  
"You too, Jon. Be careful." She couldn't hold it back anymore. She threw herself at him,  
embracing him in a hug like no other, and began to cry. Jon held her for a few seconds, and  
even allowed a single tear to run down his own cheek. Then, he released his friend, opened  
the gate, and stepped out into the street.  
  
"Goodbye, Lyss." This was all he could manage, as he made his way down the sidewalk,   
heading toward the edge of Boulder Town, and onward to whatever adventures lay ahead. He  
looked back at the orphanage he had called home all his life. He saw Lyss standing by the  
gate, waveing to him as he left. He waved back, and turned toward the world before him, his  
world.  
  
  
  
Jon and Cueball had been walking for what seemed like hours when they finally reached the  
coast of the Seafoam Channel. "Well, Cueball, this is it. You want to ride with me or get  
into a Pokèball so you don't get wet?" Being a ground-type Pokèmon, Cueball was especially  
suceptable to water.  
  
"Cubone, bone bone, cubone!"   
  
"You want to ride with me? Alright, just be careful, OK?"  
  
"Cubone!"  
  
"OK, here we go. Lucky, Go!" Jon was about to release the Lapras into the water, when his  
eye caught something a little further up the coast. There were two small figures, obviously  
more Pokèmon, some distance from where he and Cueball stood. "What do you think that's all  
about? Want to check it out, Cueball?" Cuball nodded, and the ran down the beach towards the  
two Pokèmon.  
  
When they got close enough to see what was happening, they saw a Mankey beating up on a  
Squirtle. The Mankey was much larger, and the Squirtle obviously couldn't defend itself. The  
Mankey chopped away at the shell on the tinyturtle's back, it's only defense mechanism.  
  
"Now that's not right. Think we should help the Squirtle out?" Cueball nodded his approval  
and readied his bone club for action. "Alright, Cueball, Go!" With that, the Cubone leapt  
into action.  
  
The Mankey didn't notice Cueball, it was too intrested in attacking the Squirtle. This  
proved to be it's first mistake, as it felt a sudden, sharp pain. Cueball had come up from  
behind and whacked the Mankey with his club, and hard! This stunned the pig monkey for a   
moment, but it shook off the effects, and turned to see what had hit it. Cueball stood ready  
to continue, his eyes staring through his skull helmet at the bully before him.  
  
The Squirtle, wondering why the attacks had stopped, poked it's head out of it's shell to  
see what was going on. What it saw, to it's surprise, was a Cubone, stareing down the Mankey  
that had been picking on it. "Squirt?" it said in astonishment.  
  
The Mankey looked furious, as they often do when attacked. It's rage was building, and it  
was focused on the new opponent that stood in front of it. Mankey were notorious for their  
Rage attacks, which involved pummeling their opponents continuously untill they've defeated  
them. And this Mankey was no exception. Jon could see the ferocity in it's eyes.  
  
"Alright, Cueball. Bone Club attack!"  
  
Cueball charged at the Mankey, raising his club to strike. As he reached his target, the  
Mankey quickly sidestepped the attack, which missed completely, and let loose woth a round-  
house kick that caught the little Cubone in the back. Cueball hit the gorund face first,  
but got to his knees, and looked back at his opponent. His eyes grew distant with anger, and  
he got to his feet, ready to attack again.  
  
Jon was trying to figure out which attack would be most effective, and decided on the most  
powerful attack Cueball had in his arsenal. "Cueball, use your Earthquake!"  
  
Cueball gladly obliged. The earth shook as he slammed his club to the ground. The shock-  
wave sent a wave of sand hurtleing toward the Mankey, who was still reveling in the success  
of his last attack. Mankey didn't notice untill it was too late, and the earthwave struck   
it with enough force to launch it into the air. As it flew out of sight, it let out a scream  
which faded out as it flew into the distance.   
  
Jon had won his first battle.  
  
"Good job, Cueball! You did it."  
  
"Cuuuuuuu-Bone!" Cueball revelled in its first victory.  
  
"Now, let's see how the Squirtle is doing."  
  
They rushed over to the Squirtle, who had returned to the safety of its shell during the  
battle. It poked its head out of the shell again, and saw Jon and Cueball kneeling next to  
it. "Squirtle?"  
  
"It's ok, little buddy. You're safe now, the Mankey is gone."  
  
Squirtle looked at them for a moment, unsure what to make of the human and his Cubone  
companion. Then, he let out a smile, popped his arms and legs out of its shell, and got  
to its feet. "Squirt squirt squirtle!"  
  
"Ha ha! Alright! He's OK!" Jon was glad, too, because this was the smallest Squirtle he  
had ever seen before. Apparently, it was just a baby, seperated from its Squirtle pack.   
"Hey, where's your group? Don't Squirtle usually travel in groups?"  
  
Squirtle lowered his head. "Squirrrrr-tle" It said, sadly.  
  
"Aww, you've been seperated. Can't you fint them?"  
  
Squirtle could only sigh.  
  
"Oh, man. That's not good." Jon thought to himself, all the while looking at the little  
turtle he had just saved. He came to a decision, then and there. "Hey, I know, would you  
like to come with us, Squirtle? We might be able to find your pack on the way to Pallet  
Town. What do you say?"  
  
Squirtle looked up at Jon. No human had ever been this kind to him in his experience. But  
this one seemed different, trustworthy.  
  
Cueball walked up to Squirtle, and looked him over a bit. Cubone were known for their  
lonely nature, but Cueball had learned a bit about friendship from Jon. Since the day he  
took Jon to the Boulder Pokèmon Center, he had stayed by his side because of the similarity  
in their situations. Now he was confronted with yet another orphan, the Squirtle they had  
saved. He looked up at Jon for a second, and turned back to Squirtle.  
  
"Squirtle?" It was unsure what to make of the Cubone which stood looking at him now.  
  
And then, Cueball smiled, and extended his hand to the tiny turtle.  
  
Squirtle was taken aback for a second, but finally smiled. "Squirrrrrr-TLE!!!" Happily, it  
took Cueball's hand, and they shook on it. He had found a new family, this human and his  
Cuebone.  
  
"Alright! Welcome aboard, Squirtle! This is Cueball, he's been with me since I was a baby.  
And this..." Jon took out his Pokèball and released Lucky into the water. "...is Lucky, my  
Lapras." Lucky smiled brightly and howled a hello at Squirtle. "Hey, we're gonna have to   
give you a good nickname. What do you think?"  
  
"Squirt!"  
  
"Squirt, huh? Alright, then. Squirt it is! Welcome to the team, Squirt!"  
  
"Squirt squirt squirtle!" He seemed happy with the new nickname, and made his joy evident.  
  
"Ha ha ha ha! Alright!" Jon reached into his bag and pulled out an empty Pokèball and  
pointed it at his new friend. "Squirt, return!" Again, the red beam shot out of the ball,  
and in an instant, Squirtle was comfortably inside. Jon looked back at Cueball. "Ready to go  
buddy?"  
  
"Cuuuuuu-Bone!"  
  
"Let's go, then!" And with that, the pair, now with a new friend in tow, climbed onto the  
gentle giant's back. Cueball hurried up Lucky's neck and seated himself on it's head. With a  
happy howl, the Lapras made his way out into the water, and they were all on their way to  
high adventure, and most assuredly, danger too.  
  
  
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Part Three: Professor Oak and the Pallet Pokèmon Peril  
  
They had been sailing for a few hours now. It was a beautiful day to be on the water, and  
Jon enjoyed the fresh sea air. It sure beat the musty, mothball smell at the orphanage. He  
took out the map Mrs. Appletree had given him, and tried to figure out where exactly they  
were. "Man, I wish I knew a thing about navigation. I can't tell where we are at all." Just  
then, Cueball began to get excited.  
  
"Cubone! Cubone bone bone, Cuuuu-Boooooone!" He was jumping up and down with glee, much to  
the discontent of Lucky, whose head the little Pokèmon was on top of. Cueball was pointing  
with his club, and yelling like crazy.  
  
"What do you see, Cueball?"  
  
"Cu-BOOOOOONE!"  
  
Jon looked to where Cueball was pointing, but couldn't see anything. He stood up to get a  
better view of the horizon. And that's when he saw it. LAND. At long last, they sighted  
land. It was a small island with one little town situated on the coast. Hurriedly, he took  
out his map again and looked for something that resembled what he was seeing. It was  
Cinnabar Island. They had made it accross the channel.  
  
"Look, guys! That's Cinnabar Island! We made it! Now all we have to do is sail north of it  
and we'll be in Pallet Town!"  
  
Lucky let out a glad howl, he was tired from swimming all day, and wanted to rest.  
  
"You tired, Lucky? We'll get you into a Pokèmon Center as soon as we hit land. Then we'll  
go and see Professor Oak. What do you think?"  
  
Lucky howled his approval, and picked up his pace. He was anxious to get to Pallet, they   
all were. It had been a long day, and they all knew it was only the first of many.  
  
  
They finally reached the coast, and could see Pallet off in the distance. Jon and Cueball  
climbed down off Lucky.   
  
"Well, guys, we're here!" Jon took out the Pokèball he kept Lucky in, and tossed it up  
into the air. "Lucky, return!" The Lapras zipped into his ball, and it came down into Jon's  
hand. Putting it into his bag with his other Pokèballs, he and Cueball began to make their  
way towards the town. "We'll be in town in a little while. Then you guys can get some rest."  
  
A half an hour later, they walked into town. Jon began to look for the Pokèmon Center, and  
found it right next to Professor Oak's lab. "Boy, that sure is convenient. We don't have to   
run all over town to get what we need to do done." Cueball nodded his approval, and they  
strode through the doors of the Center.   
  
"Hello! Welcome to the Pallet Toen Pokèmon Center!" Jon turned around, and saw a nurse,  
along with a Chansey in nurse's gear. "I'm Nurse Joy. Can I help you?"  
  
"Yeah, you bet. My Pokèmon could use a little R and R, but Cueball here doesn't like to  
be in a ball. Can you give them a good once-over?"  
  
"Alright! We can cater to your Cubone, no problem!"  
  
"Great. I need to see Professor Oak next door. Could you send someone to get me when the  
Pokèmon are ready?"  
  
"Sure thing! We'll take good care of your Pokèmon!"  
  
"Thanks Nurse Joy." Jon turned to Cueball and knelt down. "I'll be right next door, OK,   
buddy?"  
  
"Cubone!" Cueball happily grunted.   
  
"OK. See ya in a bit!" Jon turned and walked out of the Center, and made his way to the   
Lab next door. This place is huge, Jon thought. He noticed a video panel next to the door,  
and assumed that this must be the doorbell. So, he lifted his finger and pressed the button.  
After a few seconds, the screen popped to life, and the image of Professor Oak appeared.  
  
"Can I help you?" The professor said.  
  
"Um, yes, Professor Oak? My name is Jonathan Leary, from Boulder Town in the south."  
  
"Oh, Boulder Town! It's been years since I've been down there! Tell me, you wouldn't by  
any chance know Edith Appletree, would you?"  
  
"Appletree? Well sure I do! She's in charge of the orphanage where I grew up."  
  
"Oh my." The Professor suddenly seemed very serious. "Please, come in. Muk will lead you  
to my lab area."  
  
"OK, Professor." The doors opened slowly, and just inside, Jon saw an undulating blob of,  
from what he could tell, motor oil. He didn't know what to make of it untill it crept toward  
him slowly, and began to grumble. Jon stepped back for a second. He'd never seen a Pokèmon  
like this before. "You must be Muk." The blob just looked at him oddly, then turned and made  
it's way into the lab. "Well, I guess I should follow it." He stepped inside, and followed  
the sludge Pokèmon, though at a distance, down the hall.  
  
  
The Muk led Jon into a large laborotory, filled with bubbeling beakers over bunson burners  
and all sorts of machines, none of which struck him as familiar. On one table was something  
that looked like a transporter right out of the Star Trek reruns that Lyss was fond of  
watching back at the orphanage. Next to that was a huge computer with a giant monitor, and  
further down were scales and rulers. These were obviously for measuring Pokèmon growth, but  
they were all that Jon could identify for sure. He turned around, and saw a short man in a  
lab smock, bent over one of the machines. It was Professor Oak, the Pallet Pokèmon Prof.  
  
"Welcome to my lab, Jon. Believe it or not, I've been expecting you."  
  
"You have, Professor?"  
  
"Oh yes. Edith, er, Mrs. Appletree phoned me and told me you'ld be coming. But she only   
said that your name was Jonathan. I was confused for a second when you rang the front bell,   
because Jon is such a popular name. But when you mentioned the orphanage, I knew she meant  
you."  
  
"Uh, I guess so. What are you doing, Professor?"  
  
The machine that Professer Oak was working with was about the size of the television that  
was in the meeting room at the orphanage. It had three depressions in the top, one of which  
had a Pokèball resting in it. The front had several guages, dials, buttons and other meters.  
  
"This is my Pokèmon Analysis Device. With it, I can record and compare the strengths of  
Pokèmon of the same breed."  
  
"But why would you want to compare two similar Pokèmon?"  
  
"You see, Jon, despite being of the same species, each Pokèmon grows and develops their  
abilities in different ways, and at different rates. By studying these variances, I'm hoping  
to be able to prove that Pokèmon are just as distinct as you or I."  
  
"Wow. That's pretty wild. So all this stuff is for studying all the different Pokèmon?   
That's pretty cool, Professor."  
  
"Oh, I don't know about cool, but it is my livelyhood. I've made it my life's work to  
study and document the different Pokèmon in the world."  
  
"Man, that's gotta be some task. How do you get all your Pokèmon, Professor?"  
  
Oak walked over to the wall and pressed a button on a remote he had pulled from his lab  
coat pocket. As the wall came up, Jon saw rack after rack, each loaded with Pokèballs of  
all different sizes and colors. "These are the Pokèmon that the trainers from here in Pallet  
send me. The Muk that brought you into the lab belongs to a trainer named Ash, though it   
seems to have taken a likeing to me since it's been here."  
  
"So that's what that transporter looking thing is for, huh?"  
  
"Precisely. Anyway, the trainers send me their Pokèmon so I can study everything about  
them, their habbits, diet, even their fighting skills."  
  
"Jeez. And why are there so many different Pokèballs?"  
  
"There are many types of Pokèballs, Jon. For example, these slightly larger ones are  
Great Balls. And these green ones here, these are Safari Balls from the Safari Zone in   
Fuscia City. With the exception of the Safari Balls, each type of ball has different odds  
of catching and holding Pokèmon, depending on their strength."  
  
"Woah!" Jon was dumbfounded. He knew that there were many different types of Pokèmon in   
the world, but this was beyond anything he'd ever dreamed of. Great Balls, Safari Balls. He  
had alot to learn.  
  
"And this..." Oak reached into a side cupboard and pulled out a very large Pokèball. "This  
is the Master Ball. It was developed in Saffron City by the Silph Corporation. It's 100%  
garunteed to catch any Pokèmon it's thrown at, no matter how strong or large it is. But this  
is the only other one besides the one Ash has. Silph only made two, before Team Rocket tried  
to take the company over."  
  
"Team Rocket? Who are they?"  
  
"You'll find out, all in good time, my boy. Right now, though, I need your help with a  
slight problem that Pallet has been experiencing."  
  
"Uh, a slight problem?"  
  
"Yes. With all the town trainers out training for the Indigo League Tournement, there's no  
one left to help me. That's why I was hoping you'ld arrive soon, which you thankfully did."  
  
"Well, what's the trouble, Professor? I'd be glad to help."  
  
"Good. It seems that the town's Pokèmon have started disappearing."  
  
"Disappearing?"  
  
"Yes. Several days ago, Ash's mother woke up to find her housekeeper, A Mr. Mime, was gone  
without a trace. She looked all over, even going as far as Viridian City with no luck. After  
that, more Pokèmon belonging to the townspeople began to vanish. No one knows who is doing  
this or why, but I'm willing to bet my research that Team Rocket has something to do with it  
all. There's no other reason that fits. Rocket's activity has been picking up in this area,  
according to the local news lately."  
  
"Sounds pretty serious. What can I do about it?"  
  
"With all the other trainers out of town, I'm betting that Team Rocket thinks they have  
carte blanch around here. Ash has allowed the use of a few of his Pokèmon to help catch the  
crooks and return everyone's Pokèmon. And you've been volunteered, in a manner of speaking."  
  
"Use someone else's Pokèmon? Are you sure that's a good idea, Professor? They might not  
listen to me."  
  
"That's why I've developed this device. It's a Pokèmon Behavioral Modifier. It allows the  
trainer who posesses it to control Pokèmon from other trainers with more success. Ash's Muk   
and Krabby have responded well to it, so you'll be taking them along with you. And here."  
Professor Oak went over to his desk, opened the middle drawer, and pulled out a small red  
box. "This is your Pokèdex, Jon. It will document any Pokèmon you see or capture along the  
way."  
  
"Wow. A Pokèdex. I've heard of these. And this one's for me?"  
  
"Yes, Jon. It also contains information on all the areas that Ash and my grandson, Gary,  
have visited. They are the only two trainers from Pallet who haven't given up their Pokèmon  
Quests. The others decided to quit and settle wherever they ended up."  
  
"Woah." Jon was enthralled by the incredible knowledge and abilities of the old man who   
stood before him. This was an incredible task, and he hoped he could live up to Professor  
Oak's high expectations.  
  
"Alright, you're all set, Jon. Muk? Hop on into your Pokèball!" The Professor held up a  
ball, and the red beam shot out at Muk, and returned it to the confines of the ball. He then  
brought out another ball, this one containing Krabby. "Here are Muk and Krabby. Your Pokèdex  
will bring you up to speed on their attacks and abilities."   
  
"Muk and Krabby. Alright. Where do I begin, though, Professor? It's a pretty big world out  
there."  
  
"Well, Jon, you might want to try Veridian City first. It's the next town over. Reports on  
the news are hinting that Team Rocket's activities are fairly heavy there. I'm willing to bet  
that that's their base of operations. If you hae any problems, don't heasitate to call me."  
  
"Alright, Professor. Here we go." Jon turned to leave, but turned back quickly. There was   
one last thing on his mind. "Um, Professor?"  
  
"Yes, Jon?"  
  
"Did Mrs. Appletree say anything about my friend, Alyssa, when she called? She was really   
upset when I left."  
  
"No, not that I can remember."  
  
"Oh. Alright. Thanks, Professor Oak. I'll do my best." Jon's heart sank a little. He missed  
Lyss like there was no tomorrow, and to not hear anything made him rather glum.  
  
"I know you will, Jon."  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Part Four: The Search Begins  
  
  
Jon returned to the Pallet Pokèmon center to retrieve his Pokèmon. When he arrived at the  
counter, Cueball ran up to greet him with a huge hug.  
  
"Cubone!" The little guy was happy to see his friend indeed. Just then, Nurse Joy came up  
with Jon's other two Pokèballs.  
  
"They're ready to go! And I must say, your Cubone is unlike any Cubone I've ever seen. He's  
so full of energy!"  
  
"That's Cueball, alright. A bundle of energy. Heh. Thanks alot, Nurse Joy."  
  
"You're welcome! Just be careful out there. There have been alot of..."  
  
Jon cut her off without another thought. "...Pokèmon disappearances, I know."  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"Professor Oak told me all about it. Since I'm the only trainer not out working towards the  
Indigo League Tournament, I've been volunteered to go out and find them. I'll be alright, with   
Cueball and the gang, here."  
  
"Good luck!" Nurse Joy and her Chansey waced as Jon made his way out of the center. "I hope  
he makes it, Chansey."  
  
"Chan-sey chan-sey."  
  
  
Jon sat along Route One, the main road between Pallet Town and Veridian City. Cueball sat  
next to him, examining one of the Pokèballs that Professor Oak had given his trainer.  
  
"We've got some new teammates, Cueball. You want to meet them?"  
  
"Cubone bone!"  
  
"Alrighty then!" Jon stood up, reached into his backpack, and pulled out four Pokèballs. He  
first released Lucky and Squirt. "Hey you guys. Everyone feeling better after that rest break?"  
They chimed their content, and Jon continued. "Great. When I went to see Professor Oak, he told  
me about a problem with disappearing Pokèmon. He want's us to help, and even gave us some new  
temproary team members. You guys think you can handle some outside help?"  
  
"Squirt squirt squirtle!" Squirtle seemed pleased to make some new friends. Lucky simply  
nodded at him and smiled, signaling his agreeance. And Cueball raised his hand in approval.  
  
"Alright you guys, here they are. Muk, Krabby, Go!" Jon threw the other two Pokèballs into  
the air, and down came the two newest members of his squad. His Pokèmon looked on in surprise.  
They had never seen anything like Muk before, though Krabby were more common. "Say hello to Muk  
and Krabby. They belong to a trainer named Ash from Pallet. Professor Oak loaned them to us to   
help find the others."  
  
"Muuuuuuuuuuk!" The Muk immediately made his way toward Lucky, who took a step back in shock.  
Muk started to ooze his way up onto Lucky's back, and happily grunted from atop the Transport  
Pokèmon. Lucky, surprised at first, decided that this Pokèmon was alright, and began to howl.  
  
Squirt walked up to the crabby and extended his hand to the little crab. Krabby looked at the  
tiny turtle for a second, and then extended his claw in rerurn. The two shook, and then began to   
wrestle happily in the grass.  
  
"Well, Cueball. Looks like everyone's getting along OK. I think we're ready to start looking."   
Cueball nodded and smiled in agreement. Things were shaping up to be quite good for the group of   
adventurers, when suddenly, from the woods alongside the road, Cueball heard something.  
  
"Cubone." He tugged on Jon's pantleg. "Cubone bone cubone!"  
  
"What is it, Cueball?"  
  
"Cubone bone bone cu cubone cubone bone cu!" He ws pointing his club frantically at where the  
noise was coming from. The other Pokèmon stopped playing around and fell silent, curious as to   
what Cueball was so excited about. "Cubone!" Cueball ran over to the bushes, his bone club in  
in hand. The others watched as he investigated the sounds, which they now all heard.  
  
Suddenly, the bushes rustled, and out flew a yellow ball, spinning towards them. Cueball fell  
back while trying to track whatever it was, and rolled over just in time to see it land. It was  
a Pikachu.  
  
"Woah. A Pikachu." Jon took out his Pokèdex and activated the identification program. The  
little device zapped to life.  
  
"¤Pikachu. The Electric Mouse Pokèmon. When several Pikachu gather together, their combined   
voltage can cause radio and television signal disturbances and even electrical storms.¤"  
  
"Wow. It's been a long time since I've seen one of those."  
  
"Pi pi pikachu." The little mouse looked over the group of Pokèmon that traveled with the  
human. First he looked at the Lapras, which still had Muk on it's back. He then turned and  
looked at the Cubone which had flushed it out of it's perch in the bushes. Finally, he turned  
to look athe the Squirtle and Krabby which had been wrestling around together. "Pika pikachu."  
  
"Squirt squirtle." Squirt seemed to be able to understand the Pikachu, and spoke back to it.  
The comprehension must have been mutual, and they began to talk to one another, much to the  
surprise of Jon, who again looked to his Pokèdex.  
  
"I wonder if this thing has a translation program." He pushed a few buttons.  
  
"¤Pokèmon Pokèdex translation unit activated.¤"  
  
"Alright. Now I can hear what all the fuss is about."  
  
"Pika pika, Pi kachu pika pi! Pi pi pika pi chu pikachu!"  
  
"¤Translation. Pikachu says that his fellow Pikachu have been taken by a group of humans  
led by a monster.¤"  
  
"Squirrrrtle, squirt squirt squirtle?"  
  
"¤Trasnlation. Squirtle is asking what kind of monster.¤"  
  
"Pikachu, pi pi pika pi chu pika. Pikaaaaaa, pikachuuuuu."  
  
"¤Translation. Pikachu says the monster looked like it was half alive, half machine.¤"  
  
"Half alive, half machine? Weird. What kinda monster is that?"  
  
"Pika piiiiii..." Pikachu sounded very depressed.  
  
"Hey, I wonder if this has anything to do with the Pokèmon disappearances in Pallet. Can  
you show us where the monster went, Pikachu?"  
  
"Pika pi." Pikachu nodded, and began to run down the road toward Viridian City.  
  
"Looks like we're hot on the trail. Lucky, Muk, Krabby, return!" The Pokèmon returned to   
their Pokèballs. Jon decided to leave Squirt out of his ball so he could talk with the  
Pikachu. After packing his team into his bag, he, Cueball and Squirt hurried down the road  
after Pikachu.  
  
  
"Pika pi pi! Pika!" Pikachu had stopped in front of a large building, pointing at the  
structure and jumping up and down hurriedly. Jon and his crew ran up after it at a dead   
sprint, and came to a huffing, panting halt.  
  
"Whew. So this is it, huh Pikachu?" The little rodent nodded at him. "Wow. This place is  
pretty large. Not to mention probably well guarded." Jon looked around the wall that formed  
the perimeter of the compound. He was looking for something, anything, that would grant  
them access. After looking for a few minutes, he came back to the main gate, frustrated.  
  
"There's no way in. Cueball, see if you can dig your way under that wall."  
  
Cueball ran up to the wall, looked it over carefully, and began to dig. It took some time,  
but he finally reached beyond the concrete base. "Cubone!" He cried in success, and got  
right back to digging the passage for his friends.  
  
"Good job, Cueball." This little Cubone never let him down.  
  
Once Cueball had cleared the passage to the other side, he returned and signaled his  
friends to come through. Pikachu went first, and slid through easily. Squirtle was a whole  
different story. At one point, he became wedged in the tunnel, his shell too large to fit.  
But some tugging by Pikachu and Cueball, with some pushing on Jon's part, and Squirt popped  
through unhurt. Jon handed his bag through to Cueball, and made his way through the narrow   
entrance. He wiggled his way out the other end, stood up, and brushed himself off.  
  
"Alright, guys, we're in. What now?"   
  
They all looked at the massive courtyard. It had many shrubs and trees, some of which Jon  
had never seen before. They must be rare plants, he thought. Fountains dotted the landscape,  
which rolled up a gentle slope to the front of the building. From the inside, it looked much  
bigger to Jon. He looked down the side of the building, and saw a glass sliding door. A way  
in.  
  
"Over there, you guys. And be quiet, we don't want to draw any attention to ourselves."  
  
  
The air was musty, and barely any light was visible at all. The only light source in the   
room was the machine at the end of the wall. The only sound was the humming of that machine.  
And the muted cries of Pokèmon. They had all been caged and placed in this room. And they  
were all growing weaker by the day.   
  
Several days before, they were all happily with their trainers or owners, going about  
their usualy daily lives. Untill the thing came. It was huge, the size of a man. And it  
frightened them. Then, the thing raised its hand. They floated into the air. And then the  
men came. The men, with the human symbol on their chests. They captured them all, one by   
one. And borught them here. Here, where the thing was.   
  
It was wired into the machine. Countless wires. They ran into the metallic structure  
that covered its body. The humming of the machine behind it. The lights blinking dimly  
in the darkness. The thing stayed there. Thinking. Thinking...  
  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Part Five: Hot On The Trail  
  
Jon peered from behind a shrub into the door. There wasn't anyone around. "OK, guys.  
Let's go, and QUIETLY!" He lead the way around the shrub and walked up to the door, his  
Pokèmon following closely behind him. When he reached the door, he held out his hand.  
"Well, here goes." And he pushed.  
  
The door slid open easily, without setting off any alarms or making much noise at all.  
"Well, that was pretty easy." They all stepped inside, and began to search for the stolen  
Pokèmon. "Now, I suppose the logical place to start would be in the basement."  
  
"You guessed right, you little punk." The voice came from the balcony high above them.  
"I don't know how you got in here, but you won't be leaving without explaining yourself  
to the boss. And trust me, kid. Giovanni's not a forgiving man."  
  
"Giovanni? Who's he?"   
  
A figure lept from off the balcony and landed in front of Jon. He was waering all black,  
and had a large red "R" stiched onto the shirt. Jon knew right away. He was a member of   
Team Rocket, and they WERE responsible for the missing Pokèmon. "You'll meet him soon  
enough, kid. But first, we'll deal with your little runts here. They'll make interesting  
additions to the boss's collection."  
  
"I doubt that. Highly."  
  
"We'll see, punk. Go, Graveler!" He threw out his Pokèball, and out came what looked to  
be a boulder with arms, legs, and a face. Jon quickly got out his Pokèdex and flipped it  
open. It sprang to life instantly.  
  
"¤Graveler. A rock type Pokèmon and evolved form of Geodude. It's rock solid body is  
thick and resistant to most conventional attacks¤"  
  
"Rock, huh?" Jon loked at Cueball, and then at Squirt. Cueball was ground type, very  
similar to rock type. And he knew who to use instantly. "Squirt, take this oversized  
pebble down! Water Gun Attack!"  
  
Squirt took in a deep breath, and fired a stream of water at the Graveler, who promptly  
dodged the attack.  
  
"Heh. Your runt of a Squirtle is no match for my Graveler. Tackle Attack!"   
  
Graveler charged at Squirt and rammed him head on, knocking him into the air. Squirt did  
a summersault and landed on his feet. He looked rather angry. The Graveler charged again.  
Again, he rammed Squirt head on, and again, Squirt went flying and landed. He was even more  
angry than before.  
  
"What's he doing? He's just taking the abuse!" As he said that, Jon's Pokèdex bussed to  
life once again.  
  
"¤Squirtle's Surf Attack. When angered, Squirtle can call on any water available to drench  
the opponent, usually with devestating results.¤"  
  
Squirt stared at his opponent, then raised his hands. And suddenly, there was a crash. All  
the water in the fountains they had passed outside was now crashing through the glass doors  
and heading straight for the Graveler and the Rocket Minion.  
  
They tried to get out of the way, but it was no use. The wall of water smashed into the  
Graveler, and knocked it back into its evil trainer. They landed against the wall with a   
resounding thudd, both soaked, and both dazed.  
  
"That should teach you something. Never get the little guy mad, no matter who it is. Now,  
Pikachu, if you don't mind, give them something to think about. Thundershock!"   
  
Pikachu smiled an evil little smile, and charged himself up. "Piiiii-Kaaaaaa-CHUUUUUUUU!!"  
Electricity flowed from his cheeks and tail, and the bolts shot towards the downed foes.  
They were all wet now, and he knew that this would nip them in the bud, but good. The bolts  
quickly found their mark, sending the two villians into convulsions on the spot.  
  
When it was over, the Rocket and his Graveler lay motionless, stunned and a bit crispy   
from the initial shock of it all. Jon walked up to the fallen man, and threw his own Pokèball  
at him, hitting him square in the forehead "You mind telling me where you're keeping the   
Pokèmon you so graciously stole from the people around here?" The toasted crook could only   
manage to say one word: "Basement." "That's what I thought. Thanks." And with that, Jon and   
his trio made their way out of the main hall toward the basement.  
  
  
The four heros crept down the dimly lit staircase. It seemed to go on forever, they had no  
clue how far they had to go. Jon looked over the side rail, down towards the bottom. But he   
couldn't see it. There was only blackness. And man, was it dark.  
  
And then, they heard something.  
  
"Hold on you guys, listen." They stopped, and listened. They could hear moaning and grunts  
from below. "Sounds like whatever's down there isn't feeling very well."  
  
"Pikachu." The little rodent looked down, worried as to what he might face.  
  
"Cubone-bone." Cueball reached out with his hand and placed it on Pikachu's back, as if to  
comfort him. He could sense the apprehension in the little yellow creature.  
  
"Well, you guys, let's find out what that is down there. We have to be close."  
  
They continued down the long and winding stairs until they reached the bottom. Once there,  
they saw that they stood before a large steel door. Looking around the room, they quickly  
found that, other than the stairs they had just come down, this door was the only way out.  
And from behind it came the sounds they had all heard. They were louder and more discernable  
now. Jon quickly recognized them. They were being made by the missing Pokèmon.  
  
"That's it. That's where the others are being held. We've got to figure out a way to get  
in there and free them." Jon walked up to the door. He looked up, and saw that the door was  
nearly three times as tall as he was, and looked like it was thick as granite. "OK, now to  
see if there's a way to get this thing open."  
  
"Squirt squirt squirtle! Squirtle squirt squirtle!" Squirt was tugging on Jon's pantleg,  
trying to draw his attention. He jumped up and down, pointing at a small metal plate set  
into the stone wall that made the frame of the door.  
  
"What did you find, Squirt?" Jon looked at the plate. It had a slot on the left side, and  
several lights lined up on the right. "Hmmm. Looks like a keycard lock. Wonder if we can get  
it open by picking this thing."  
  
"Pika pi!" Pikachu walked up to the panel, and looked it over. "Pika pi, pi pikachu!" He  
motioned to Squirt, who grabbed Cueball by the arm and Jon by the pantleg. He drug them away  
from the door.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing, Squirt?" Once the turtle was finished dragging them away, Jon  
looked over at Pikachu. "Oh, wait, I get it. He's going to short the lock out. Man, this is  
one smart little Pokèmon!"  
  
"Piiiii-Ka-CHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" The room lit up as bright as daylight as Pikachu charged up   
and let loose with a blinding array of lightning bolts. The swirled around the little mouse  
for a few seconds, and with a final "CHUUUUUU", they struck their target with full force.  
Sparks flew as the charge slammed into the keycard panel, causeing Jon and the others to  
cover their eyes. When they finally uncovered them, they saw Pikachu standing in front of  
the door, smiling. To his right, the keycard panel sparked and smoked. The little mouse had  
totally fried it.  
  
"Woah. Nice going, Pikachu!" Jon and the others ran over to the door, and began to try to  
force it open. At first, it didn't budge. But with some time and a little elbow grease, the  
four of them managed to open it enough for them to squeeze through. And once they did, they   
couldn't believe what they saw.  
  
It was a huge vaulted halway. Almost like the cathedrals that Jon had seen in his history  
books back at the orphanage. And lining either side, was cage after cage, all sorts of shapes  
and sizes, each one containing a Pokèmon. They had found the missing Pokèmon from Pallet. And  
then, Jon looked down to the end of the hall. And he saw it.  
  
"What in the heck is that thing?" The Pokèmon in Jon's party turned to look down the hall at  
what he was seeing. It was a huge machine, unlike anything they had ever seen before. Not even  
the huge boats that sailed the channels and oceans could compare to this mammoth device.  
  
"Pi pi pikachu!" Pikachu yelped in alarm, and immediately hid behind Jon.  
  
"What's the matter, Pikachu?"  
  
The little Pikachu was shivering violently.  
  
"Wait a second..." Jon walked closer to the massive machine, and as he got closer, he began   
to see more of it in what little light there was. But he still couldn't make out what had   
Pikachu so scared. He took several more steps before he finally came to a sudden halt. Now he   
could see what had Pikachu so upset. It looked like the cyborgs he had seen on TV science   
fiction movies, only 10 times more evil. It was as big as he was, and had strange armor all   
over it. "What the heck?" He pulled out his Pokèdex.  
  
"¤No information available.¤"  
  
"Oh great. Not even this thing knows what to make of that." As he finished his sentance,   
the machine suddenly hummed to life. "Uh oh." Jon began to step back as the whirring and   
cranking of the metal monstrosity became louder. And then, from what he took to be the   
creature's head, Jon saw it's eyes begin to glow. "This isn't good, you guys." He was nearly   
running backwards now, out of both confusion and fear.  
  
The wires connecting the machine to the creature began to pop off one by one, each time   
accompanied by a hiss of steam. When the last wire had dropped, the creature began to float   
in mid air, and then took off, straight up, slowly. Jon, now back with his Pokèmon near the   
cages, watched as the creature floated ever upward, toward the high ceiling. As he looked on,   
he saw a hole begin to open in the vaulted roof of the room, and the creature floated up through   
it. After it had passed through, the hole closed up again.  
  
"I'll tell you what, you guys. Let's just free these Pokèmon and get out of here. I have a   
feeling we want nothing to do with... well, whatever that thing was." His intrepid companions   
all nodded in agreement, and they immediately began to free the stolen Pokèmon from their cages.  
  
  
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Part Six: The Escape  
  
After they had freed the Pokèmon from their confines, Jon led the charge back up the stairs.   
He had no clue what it was they had seen back there, but he wasn't about to wait around to find   
out. They ran up the massive staircase at a fevered pace, anxious to return to Pallet and get away   
from the nightmare they had all endured over the past few days.  
  
"Just a little bit further, everyone! Don't stop now!" Jon was feeling himself begin to tire,   
and sweat rolled down his forehead. He wiped it away with his shirt sleeve, but as he did, more   
began to take its place. They were almost to the top, he could see the light of the main compound   
hallway. "We're almost there! Just a bit more, everyone! Keep going!" He was shouting encouragement   
at all the monsters behind him, though he himself felt as if he was about to collapse.  
  
As they neared the top of the stairs, Jon could see two shadowy figures in the light of the   
entranceway. Oh great, he thought, what now? When they finally reached the top, Jon could make out   
the outlines of two people, and as he got closer, a smaller, cat-like figure became visible between   
them. Jon stopped suddenly, as did the herd of Pokèmon behind him.  
  
"Prepare for trouble..." came a voice, a female voice.  
  
"And make it double..." bellowed a lower, obviously male voice.  
  
As the three figures made there way into the dimly lit corridor, Jon could see them a bit more   
clearly. There was a boy, a bit younger than himself, with blue hair, and a girl of the same age,   
with long red hair. Both wore white uniforms with large red "R"s printed on them.   
More of Team Rocket's minions. And between them was a Meowth, standing upright, and walking on   
it's hind legs.  
  
"Who the heck are you guys?" Jon said defiantly. He knew they were going to try to stop him,   
and he slowly reached into his bag. His hand clutched the two Pokèballs that Professor Oak had   
given him, and he readied himself for the coming battle.  
  
"To protect the world from devistation..." the girl continued, followed by the boy.  
  
"To unite all peoples within our nation..."  
  
"To denounce the evils of truth and love..."  
  
"To extend our reach to the stars above..."  
  
Jon was getting antsy. When were these two going to shut up and fight?  
  
"Jesse..."  
  
"James..."  
  
This was getting on Jon's nerves. What a pointless little introduction, he thought. These   
two must me real winners.  
  
"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"  
  
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"  
  
And, to Jon's surprise, the Meowth that was with them spoke, in perfect english.  
  
"Meeeeowth! That's right!"  
  
"Alright, you little twerp," Jesse spoke at him in a threatening tone, "I don't care how   
you got in here, but I can assure you that you won't be leaving anytime soon."  
  
"That's right, you little freak." James spoke in an egotistical tone. "Just where do you   
think you're going with the boss' Pokèmon? Do you know how long it took us to steal those?"  
  
"These Pokèmon belong to the people of Pallet Town. And, for your information, I'm no   
twerp, and I'm most certainly not little. Now are you two going to shut up and get out of my   
way, or do we have to do things the hard way?"  
  
"We'll just see about that." James threw out a Pokèball. "Wheezing, go! Take care of our small work."  
  
Jesse followed suit with a ball of her own. "Go, Arbok! Teach this little rat some manners!"  
  
"The hard way it is, then. Muk, Krabby, Go!" Jon tossed out the balls he had in his hand, and out   
came his borrowed Pokèmon. "Now, then. I'm leaving, and I'm taking these Pokèmon with me."  
  
"We'll see about that, you little runt. Arbok, Poison Sting Attack!"  
  
The poison needles shot from the giant snake's mouth, and flew straight for Krabby. Jon reacted quickly.   
"Krabby, Harden!" Krabby suddenly began to glow, and the needles bounced harmlessly off of its exoskelleton.   
"That was pretty shabby, Jesse. Now you get to feel the pinch. Krabby, Vicegrip Attack!"  
  
Krabby jumped at the Arbok, and reached out with its left claw, clamping onto the poison reptile with   
all its might. Arbok thrashed around in pain, trying to shake the little crab loose, but to no avail.   
It thrashed around untill it bonked it's head off of the wall, knocking itself out.  
  
"If you think you've won," shouted James, "Think again. Wheezing, Sludge Attack!" The toxic Pokèmon   
released a blob of goo out of it's mouth at Jon. But Muk had other plans. It jumped up in between the goo   
and Jon, absorbing it into its own body.  
  
"Ha. Muk thrives off of that stuff, or didn't you know that? Oh well, it doesn't matter. Muk, Body Slam!"  
  
Muk charged towards the three Rocketeers, ramming into them with tremendous force. The blow was enough to   
send them flying out of the stairwell and out the window with a resounding crash. As they flew off, Jon heard   
them scream.  
  
"Looks like Team Rocket's Blasting Off Agaiiiiiiinnnnnnnnn!" With that, they flew out of sight.  
  
"What a bunch of creeps. Now, let's get out of here before more of those morons show up."  
  
  
The group made their way across the courtyard and to the hole Cueball had dug earlier. Most of the smaller   
Pokèmon easily crawled out through the tunnel, but there were larger ones that couldn't fit. Jon and his troupe   
helped each one up and over the wall. After they had accomplished this, Cueball, Squirt and Pikachu scurried   
into the tunnel and out the other side. As Jon began to make his way into the hole, he heard a sudden crash.  
  
He looked back in time to see something shoot out of the roof of the compound building. It blasted its way   
into the air, shedding bits and pieces of armor as it flew. "That thing! Looks like it's escaping, but from what?"   
Jon turned his attention to getting through the hole, and wiggled his way to the other side. Once there, he and all   
the town's Pokèmon began to rush down the road, towards Pallet.  
  
And suddenly, there was a huge explosion. They all turned to see the compound go up in a blazing fireball.  
  
"Woah. Whatever that thing was, it sure as heck wasn't kidding!"   
  
They all stood for a few more moments, gazing at the inferno. They could have all been caught in that explosion.   
After a bit, Pikachu tugged again on Jon's pantleg.  
  
"You're right, Pikachu. Let's get back to town." And they all set off for Pallet.  
  
  
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Part Seven: A Happy Return  
  
Professor Oak looked out his window to see what had made the loud explosion, and saw a towering column of smoke   
rising from above the treeline in the distance. "Wow. I wonder what all that was about?" As he said this, his gaze   
lowered to the road from Viridian City. What he saw changed his mood from shock and surprise to sheer joy. He saw   
the boy from the Boulder Orphanage, followed by a massive group of Pokèmon. "I don't believe it. He did it!"  
  
The townspeople had gathered to greet the young nomad. Each Pokèmon ran, crawled, flew or otherwise made their   
way to their owners, and each one rejoiced. Jon and his group stood off to the side of the road. Professor Oak   
made his way over to them.  
  
"Well, Professor, all Pokèmon present and accounted for." Jon handed Krabby and Muk's Pokèballs to the old   
doctor. "Krabby and Muk really came through. Thanks for the loan."  
  
"Anytime, Jonathan. You did a fantastic job! But what was that explosion, and the fire near Viridian City?"  
  
"Trust me, Professor, you don't want to know."  
  
"Well, I have to get back to my work here. You have a long road ahead of you, Jonathan. If you continue to   
keep up this kind of success, you'll become a great Pokèmon trainer!"  
  
"Thanks, Professor." And with that, Oak returned to his lab. Jon turned to see the little Pikachu, reunited   
with his friends. They seemed very happy to be out of the Rocket dungeon. "Well, guys, looks like Pikachu's   
happy to see his herd again. Guess we should be hitting the road." They began to head down the road.  
  
At that moment, Pikachu looked back at his new friends. He looked back at his herd. They looked at him   
inquisitively. "Pi pi, pika pi pi chu pikachu." They all nodded and smiled, and hugged their hero. Pikachu waved   
goodbye, and ran after his new companions.  
  
Jon, Cueball and Squirt made their way down the road, when they heared Pikachu yelling at them from behind.   
They turned to see it running towards them. As Pikachu drew closer, he lept into the air and came down in Jon's   
arms.  
  
"Well, I guess we have a new tag-along for this trip! Welcome aboard, Pikachu!"  
  
"Pi-KAAA-chu!" The little rodent squealed happily.  
  
Jon got out two Pokèballs, and called Pikachu and Squirt into them. He packed them into his bookbag, and   
turned to Cueball. "Well, looks like we have ourselves a little crew, Cueball. Ready for what's next?"  
  
"CUUUUU-BONE!"  
  
"Then let's get going! Look out world, Here come's Jonathan, the Pokèmon Nomad!"  
  
They set off down the road, into the setting sun. They had no clue what adventures lay ahead, but they   
were sure they would make it just fine...  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED....  
  
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Disclaimer: Pokèmon, Pikachu, Cubone, Squirtle, Lapras, etc., are all trademarks of Nintendo, Creatures Inc., and   
Game Freak. No rights are taken, implied, or otherwise inferred. This is only a work of fiction by a fan, for fans   
at www.pokemonvillage.com, www.fanfiction.net, and http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com.  
  
This is the first installment in the Pokèmon: Nomad Heart series. Questions, comments, story  
ideas (credit given!), and other general nonsense may be directed to me at erock@pennswoods.net or  
madgecko5@hotmail.com. 


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